Refrigerator and storage system for a refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet, a storage bin, a guide, and a cover. The cabinet defines an internal cavity. The storage bin is disposed within the internal cavity. The guide movably secures the storage bin to the cabinet such that the storage bin is movable into and out of the internal cavity via the guide. The cover is operable to conceal the guide. The cover is secured to the storage bin. The cover is secured to the guide such that the storage bin is secured to the guide via the cover. The cover has a protrusion extending laterally inward therefrom. The protrusion engages the storage bin to restrict lateral movement of the storage bin.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator appliance comprising: 
 a cabinet defining an internal cavity; a storage bin (i) disposed within the internal cavity, (ii) having side walls, (iii) having overhanging regions extending laterally outward from the side walls along a top and a front of the storage bin, and (iv) defining spaces between the side walls and the overhanging regions; guides each having first and second rails slidably secured to each other, wherein the first rail of each guide is secured to the cabinet; and guide covers each (i) operable to conceal one of the guides, (ii) disposed within one of the spaces such that the guide covers are concealed by the overhanging regions, (iii) secured to an internal side of one of the overhanging regions along the front of storage bin, and (iv) secured to one of the second rails such that the storage bin is (a) secured to each of the second rails via the guide covers and (b) operably slidable into and out of the internal cavity via relative movement between the first and second rails.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the guide covers include clips, and wherein each clip engages the internal side of one of the overhanging regions along the front of the storage bin to further secure the guide covers to the storage bin. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the storage bin further comprises ledges protruding into the spaces along the internal sides the overhanging regions and along the front of the storage bin, and wherein each clip engages one of the ledges to further secure the guide covers to the storage bin. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the storage bin further comprises tabs protruding upward from the ledges, wherein the clips define notches, and wherein the tabs engage the clips within the notches to further secure the guide covers to the storage bin. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the guide covers include protrusions extending laterally inward therefrom, and wherein the protrusions engage the side walls of the storage bin to restrict lateral movement of the storage bin.  
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 5 , wherein the protrusions extend laterally inward from the guide covers via biasing elements, and wherein the biasing elements are operable to bias the protrusions toward the side walls of the storage bin. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the protrusions engage the side walls of the storage bin via an interference engagement such that (i) the protrusions and biasing elements are deflected laterally outward and (ii) the biasing elements apply a force to the side walls via the protrusions.  
     
     
         8 . A refrigerator appliance comprising: 
 a cabinet defining an internal cavity; a storage bin disposed within the internal cavity; a guide movably securing the storage bin to the cabinet such that the storage bin is movable into and out of the internal cavity via the guide; and a cover (i) operable to conceal the guide, (ii) secured the storage bin, (iii) secured to the guide such that the storage bin is secured to the guide via the cover, and (iv) having a protrusion extending laterally inward therefrom, wherein the protrusion engages the storage bin to restrict lateral movement of the storage bin.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the protrusion extends laterally inward from the cover via a biasing element, and wherein the biasing element is operable to bias the protrusion toward the storage bin. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 9 , wherein the protrusion engages the storage bin via an interference engagement such that (i) the protrusion and biasing element are deflected laterally outward and (ii) the biasing element applies a force to the storage bin via the protrusion. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 8 , wherein storage bin (i) has a lateral side, (ii) an overhanging region extending laterally outward from the lateral side along a top and a front of the storage bin, and (iii) defines a space between the lateral side and the overhanging region, and wherein the cover is disposed within the space such that the cover is concealed by the overhanging region. 
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the cover is secured to an internal side of the overhanging region along the front of storage bin. 
     
     
         13 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the cover includes a clip, and wherein the clip engages the internal side of the overhanging region along the front of the storage bin to further secure the cover to the storage bin. 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 13 , wherein the storage bin further comprises a ledge protruding into the space along the internal side of the overhanging region and along the front of the storage bin, and wherein the clip engages the ledge to further secure the cover to the storage bin.  
     
     
         15 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 14 , wherein the storage bin further comprises a tab protruding upward from the ledge, wherein the clip defines a notch, and wherein the tab engages the clip within the notch to further secure the cover to the storage bin. 
     
     
         16 . A refrigerator appliance comprising: 
 a cabinet defining an internal cavity; a storage bin (i) disposed within the internal cavity, (ii) having an overhanging region extending laterally outward from a lateral side of the storage bin along a top and a front of the storage bin, and (iii) defining a space between the lateral side and the overhanging region; a guide rail movably securing the storage bin to the cabinet such that the storage bin is movable into the internal cavity via the guide rail; and an adapter plate (i) disposed within the space such that the adapter plate is concealed by the overhanging region, (ii) secured to an internal side of the overhanging region, and (iii) secured to the guide rail such that storage bin is secured to guide rail via the adapter plate, wherein the adapter plate has a protrusion (a) extending laterally inward therefrom and (b) engaging the storage bin to restrict lateral movement of the storage bin.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the protrusion extends laterally inward from the adapter plate via a biasing element, and wherein the biasing element is operable to bias the protrusion toward the storage bin. 
     
     
         18 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 17 , wherein the protrusion engages the storage bin via an interference engagement such that (i) the protrusion and biasing element are deflected laterally outward and (ii) the biasing element applies a force to the storage bin via the protrusion. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 16 , wherein the adapter plate includes a clip, and wherein the clip engages the internal side of the overhanging region along the front of the storage bin to further secure the adapter plate to the storage bin. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerator appliance of  claim 19 , wherein the storage bin further comprises a ledge protruding into the space along the internal side the overhanging region and along the front of the storage bin, and wherein the clip engages the ledge to further secure the adapter plate to the storage bin.